An open letter to our Vermont legislators who are making a life-or-death decision on the “death with dignity” bill:

As reported in The Times Argus, in Oregon, which has had such a widely popular law for 15 years, 80 percent of its use has been by those suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, emphysema and disseminated cancer. Many who requested its protection felt comforted by having control and did not use it.

A loving owner would mercifully have a beloved pet “put down” under similar circumstances. Do we treat a dog better than humans?